I had planned to write a blog post about the rolling hills of South Dakota, but that ended up on the cutting room floor because in honor of my WCW being the first female grand marshal for Sturgis, we’re going to talk about builders and the first-ever Builder’s Block at Sturgis.

Builders’ Block at Sturgis

For the first time, Sturgis will feature a Builder’s Block – a group of bike builders showcasing their sick, modded bikes. And modded bikes are something of a regular feature at Sturgis.

Builder to meet: Jessi Combs

Jessi Combs is an all-around beast on wheels. From sand pits at King of the Hammers, to building cars at SEMA and hosting her Spike TV show, Combs is an inspiration. She’s come this close to breaking the record for the fastest woman on earth, 477.59 mph, just short of the record 512 mph set in 1976. It’s fitting that the South Dakota native is leading this year’s event.

Kenny Hauk

Kenny Hauk’s latest creation, which we saw at this year’s Easter Jeep Safari, was described as “Hell on Wheels”. The owner of Hauk Designs and River Raider Off-Road in Chambersburg, Pa., built a faux locomotive that weighs in at six tons – 12,000 pounds of smoke-and-steam-belching Jeep Wrangler. That’s tight smoke and steam.

Not only is it a beast, but its creativity, technology and design caught everyone’s attention. As the folks at Four Wheeler magazine put it, “While it may not handle the hardcore trails with ease, it has opened doors for learning more than we ever dreamed about the world of steam power that had its place in the Old West and conquered wild country and blazed new trails. We look at this Jeep as a bit of modern rolling history.”

Walt Moss

Walt Moss can be described in a few simple words: local gearhead celebrity, imagineer and animal. Well, at least that’s how some people describe him. In his laboratory, he brings to life his collection of motorized marvels. A couple examples include a 1959 school bus he rescued from a neighbor’s field, shortened by 28 inches and revitalized with a custom interior. Then there’s his custom motorcycle that’s propelled by a full-size truck tire. But his most famous creation may be the semi-truck he converted into a motorcycle/trike. When looking at Moss’ creations, sometimes words fail us. And we’ve seen plenty of cool builds. See for yourself.

Say Hi To Patty

She doesn’t put as many miles on her bike as she used to, but AMSOIL Trade Show Manager Patricia Stoll shrugs off solo journeys of 300-400 miles like they’re nothing. If she wasn’t at Sturgis representing AMSOIL, she would be at Sturgis just for herself. Check out this quick video about Patricia’s passion for motorcycles and stop by the AMSOIL booth to say hi, and maybe tease her about her crush on Ponch (remember him?).

Not only are we the proud presenter of the Builder’s Block this year, we’re also the Official Oil of Sturgis. Stop by the AMSOIL booth on Main Street while you’re in town.

More cool builds

While we’re at it, here are some of the coolest builds we have seen come out of Sturgis in recent years: